


Day 1: The End

by officialjpdara



Category: BY9, BY9 (Project Group), Produce 101 (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-13
Updated: 2019-09-13
Packaged: 2020-10-17 14:37:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20622683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/officialjpdara/pseuds/officialjpdara
Summary: A look into a fan's perspective of Produce X 101 finale. Non-verbatim.





	Day 1: The End

_July 19, 2019. _It was the end of another popular survival show of _Mnet_. Maybe not as popular as the previous seasons which was what most fans of the past debut groups agree on, but still popular enough to hook the audience, willing or not. There were new rules, yes, but they remained the same. Eleven debuted trainees out of a hundred and one, through accumulated mass power. It was ridiculous to think about pitting so many trainees in one show, but it survived four seasons amidst controversies pertaining to the transparency towards the fans that devotedly watches every season. The formula worked, that’s what business analysts would say. After all, everything equates to publicity, whether it’s good or bad.

Some would say the trainees won by their talent while the others would sarcastically mutter how money could truly do anything. It’s a show, yes, there’s bound to be some underhanded opinions that irrevocably changed the whole ball game. Drama, sure, heaps of them; Survival of the Fittest, the core of the competition—Reaching the final door is what matters anyway, or that’s how the show portrays each trainee’s damnedest wish, but where do they stand after it’s all over? If they don’t win, what then? How can we even validate the pain the trainees felt because the masses felt they were not good enough?

* * *

“Nervous?”

She looked over the person who tapped her on the shoulder. An _unnie _in her mid-twenties with thread bangs and a cheery grin. From the glittery, glaringly-blue placard she held in her hand, she was a fan of _Starship Entertainment _Koo Jungmo. As was the rest of the girls surrounding her.

“Not in the slightest.”

The older girl tilted her head to the side. “Really? You look tense.” She paused before fishing out a folded sheet out of her jacket and handed it over. “Here.”

The cloth felt soft and velvety on her palm. “What’s this?”

“A cheering banner.”

She spread the cloth with one hand and ran a palm over the printed name of Jungmo. “Oh, I—Thanks, but sorry, I’m not—”

The girl laughed. “Yeah, I figured. You don’t look like someone whose type are flower-boys, so no apologies needed. I just gave that to you so you could raise a banner and support someone. So why not our Jungmo? Let’s cheer for him, okay?” She raised a fist in the air.

“Oh, uh—”

The older girl saw the hesitation. “Oh no, I’m so sorry,” The older girl bowed hastily. “I assumed you had no banner, so I gave you Jungmo’s! So sorry! It’s okay if you won’t support Jungmo, I’ll just get the banner—”

“No, no, it’s fine,” She tried to appease the apologetic girl. “I like Jungmo. I just—I don’t know if I have a _one-pick_.”

That stopped the girl short. “You have no _pick_? Are you…new?” The girl thought that her whispered question was unheard.

“Uh, no, I’m not. I just don’t know who to support.”

Her eyes widened. “Really? Why not? You should have a made a decision by now, if you know the trainees.” Then she backtracked, perceiving her statement to be almost condescending. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s fine—Can I be informal to you and call you _unnie?_” The older girl smiled and nodded. “For your question, _unnie,_ I don’t have a pick. I have many.”

Her confused expression lightened. “Ah. Yes. I get what you mean.” She leaned closer and whispered. “I’m a Donghyun and Jinhyuk fan myself. But I chose to support Jungmo tonight. Besides,” She huffed. “You can’t really only have one pick.”

“Like Koo Jungmo is your bias, and Keum Donghyun and Lee Jinhyuk are your bias wreckers?”

She snapped her fingers while laughing. “Exactly! I support Jungmo but I also stan Donghyun and Jinhyuk. If they’re all in X1, I’ll die happily.” She sighed with a lovestruck grin.

“…”

“…”

“Uh, I know we have a large chance to see Jungmo, Donghyun, and Jinhyuk in one stage, _unnie_. Just you wait.”

“I’m definitely readying my heart and money for that.” The older looked over her shoulder to wave at the group of fans calling her name. “I guess that’s my cue! I won’t get the Jungmo banner, okay? I hope you cheer for him!”

“Thanks, _unnie_. I will, I guess?” Her response felt like a question, but the older girl smiled and bowed before walking away to join the circle of Koo Jungmo fans. She looked down at the banner in her hands, at the name of the trainee who was so popular that many fans felt he has a big chance of debuting in X1.

Koo Jungmo was a front-runner since the time he was noticed for his excellent visuals in the Blue Carpet Ceremony. _“The face that would save the industry”, _that was the moniker he got from the fans, the same asset that cemented his position in Top 10 for ten weeks. And she can’t say they were wrong. Jungmo had the visuals that many people would pay for—fair skin, straight nose, heart-shaped face, rounded eyes—but what she noticed more was his stage aura. There was a sharpness to it that, with more experience, can be honed to stop anyone’s heart. Even from a picture printed on the makeshift lightstick that a fan was waving around, Jungmo’s visuals were heart stopping.

She just hoped it would be enough.

The afternoon was passing faster than she liked. With the Jungmo banner pocketed in her spacious cardigan, she had the chance to go around the arena unbothered. The fans were very devoted to their trainee picks so the sight of a stranger entering their fan circles while holding a different banner was almost taboo in such settings. So, she had the chance to evaluate the number of supporters that got in the live-show after fighting bloody with other _Produce X 101 _fans.

The first circles she reached were _Woollim _and _C9 _fans. _Woollim Entertainment _Cha Junho’s fanbase was the first she noticed because of how spread out they are, strategically placing themselves near the places that Junho could possibly be from the insider reports they got of their stage placing. But once she got over the Junho banners, she noticed that the other _Woollim _trainee seemed like he had more because Yunseong’s fans were in circles with _C9 Entertainment _Keum Donghyun’s fanbase. After talking with the fans, she realized how smart they were.

“Individually, we’re lacking in numbers, true, but combined?” A representative of Yunseong’s fansite smirked as the girl patted one of Donghyun’s fan on the shoulder. “We certainly outnumber some of the fans here.” 

_Hongyi Entertainment _Tony’s fans were amazing. The demographics were divided: half of them were Korean fans while the other half was composed of foreign fans, mainly Chinese fans. They were friendly and loud as they shouted Tony’s name to compete with the other fan circles. The dedication they had in supporting Tony outside their country only painted a bright future for Tony, whatever that may be. Unexpectedly, Tony’s fans are also supporting _IME Korea _Lee Sejin. She knew that Tony and Sejin together would be a famous two-pick if the two-pick system was retained throughout the show, but with how the live shows only allow the one-pick system, it was almost inevitable how Tony and Sejin fans would be divided later.

Still, the fans working together was a good mood maker for her, especially now that they are almost at the end. _Music Works _Song Yuvin was a prime example for that. She saw how his fanbase worked. Some faces in the Yuvin fan circles were familiar to her as Choi Suhwan stans and Lee Hyeop, and it was a given that his company mate Kim Kookheon’s fans would support him which made his fanbase even larger.

“We’re intellectuals,” The former Suhwan fan, now a Yuvin stan, shrugged her shoulders. “We stan all-rounders.”

Then she reached the larger circles. There were a lot of _Starship _fans, which made sense because there were four trainees from the company that reached the finals. Song Hyeongjun and Koo Jungmo had the most fans compared to Ham Wonjin and Kang Minhee, but Minhee’s fans were more boisterous and louder which could boost his popularity due to the fact it can be perceived that Minhee had a large fanbase. Wonjin had fewer fans but he was in the upper ranks in terms of popularity.

_DSP Entertainment _Son Dongpyo and _Brand New Music _Lee Eunsang both had many fans, even if they’re the only ones to make it into Top 20 from their companies. Dongpyo’s popularity was no surprise. Since becoming ‘_X1-MA’ _center, the _DSP _trainee became a household name amongst the viewers. The young trainee was just too good not to get noticed, both on stage and off-cam, even if the cameras weren’t aimed at him, so it was not surprising he had many fans.

What was more surprising to her, however, was the fact that Eunsang’s fanbase seemed like it doubled overnight. Unlike how _Starship _fans had to support four trainees, _BNM _fans only had to focus their efforts in helping Eunsang win after Kim Sihun’s elimination. And based from the way the fan circles were discussing plans on how to promote Eunsang when he debuts in X1, they were very assured of their fandom’s power. With their numbers, she was sure the fandom could turn the tides in Eunsang’s favor.

It was the same scenario for _Yuehua Entertainment _Cho Seungyeon. Seungyeon’s fans were not many during the first live shows, but tonight the numbers had tripled. It was no wonder because Cho Seungyeon was an all-rounder: main vocal for the Group Battles, rapper for Position Evaluations, center for Concept Evaluations. The fans were slowly increasing after each stage, but it boomed after the Concept Evaluations when he became the center of _‘Move’ _and ranked second without benefit votes. If there was anyone that she thought would be a great asset for X1, it was Cho Seungyeon.

The _MBK _fans were astounding for a small company. Nam Dohyon was a consistent pick since the first week. Known to many as the “_Representative Rapper”, _the _maknae _of Top 20 had a fanbase composed of so many worker fans because of his cute personality yet deadly stage charisma. No wonder his live-show fans were made up of so many _unnies_. Lee Hangyul’s fanbase touched teens and older girls. She met many older girls, though, which made the bulk of _MBK _fans as _noonas._

_Jellyfish Entertainment _Kim Mingyu’s large fanbase was a given. The trainee had been consistent in having many supporters on both live shows and online votes, because of how popular he was amongst the younger generation. With a visual that rivals the likes of Koo Jungmo, Choi Byungchan, and Kim Wooseok, he’s a contender for a place in the blue chairs. Especially now since Mingyu’s rank considerably went down, so the Mingyu stans are rallying up as many fans as they can to support him during the live stages. She had a hunch that their plan would work and Mingyu would debut.

_Plan A _Han Seungwoo was a big surprise for her. She knew that Seungwoo had an existing fanbase, what with him being VICTON’s representative in everything. But the fanbase grew rapidly after _‘Boss’_ and continued to go up during _‘Me After You’ _and exploded after _‘U Got It’_. As she waved to the Seungwoo fansite master that she met, she realized that he had more than enough chance to debut in X1 because he was an all-rounder, a leader, and that V-neck ensembles are his secret weapons. Han Seungwoo would be part of the “Charisma-Line”, that’s for sure.

Then there’s _OUI Entertainment _Kim Yohan’s fans. If there was something that she could say about the fan circles, she’d say that they are growing exponentially, even now when the finals are just a few minutes away. She went around saw the people, whom she saw had no banners, holding Yohan placards and blue circle fans with his name and face on it. It seemed that Yohan would be one of X1’s faces because of how effective he was in capturing the attention of fans, not only on stage but also with his personality.

But even with the number of fans of, say, _Starship _or Han Seungwoo, it held no candle to the sea of fans that _TOP Media _had.

“Whoa…”

It was insane how the fanbases of Kim Wooseok and Lee Jinhyuk united under one banner. They still support their one-picks, yes, but with how the fans united themselves under _TOP Media_ to battle the numbers of other fan circles, they were easily the largest group in the arena.

Wooseok was a sure win, the same with Yohan since Wooseok’s fans only grew larger in _Produce X 101. _He ranked second in the visual category and he’s among the best trainees in terms of charisma, so he had the largest cumulative fanbase amongst both the trainees and debuted idol-turned-trainees.

But a good look within the fanbases told her that Jinhyuk had almost an equal number to Wooseok, which is saying something since Jinhyuk did not start with a high ranking. Wooseok’s lowest rank was 7. Jinhyuk’s lowest was 38. This is a testament of how powerful behind-the-stage footage can truly be. Jinhyuk’s rise started after _‘Boss’ _and _‘Turtle Ship’ _after his image was elevated to that of a leader so the mass migration of fans under the banner of Lee Jinhyuk was astounding. Dare she say it, but Jinhyuk was more seen in the show than most of the trainees. His first stint as the leader is for _‘Boyness’ _but the charisma exuding from him was a leader-like image. Adding his skill as a dancer and rapper, and his sunny personality, he was also a sure pick for the debut, along with Wooseok and Yohan.

She sighed. She didn’t know how _Produce X 101 _will end. All the trainees deserve to debut.

Whether they’ll do it in X1 or not was the real question.

She didn’t know what to feel if her picks won’t debut in X1.

The lights dimmed and the stage shined bright over the faces of the hundred and one trainees as their final stage together.

The _‘X1-MA’ _song started playing.

Dammit, she lied.

She’s damn too nervous to breathe.

* * *

The countdown towards the completion of the debuting team was nerve-wracking. She was standing near the left side of the stage, a few feet behind the barricade between the stage and the fans. Since she was solo, she was able to squeeze through the narrow space behind the fansites and the families of the trainees. Looking around at the numerous Kim Wooseok and Lee Jinhyuk banners raised, it must’ve been a section of mostly _TOP Media _stans. Luck was with her because _TOP Media _fans were notoriously organized and would prioritize fansites to be placed nearest the stage for footage.

Their formed section had one of the better vantage points because she got to see the stage unobstructed, which was important especially during the Debut Evaluation stages, and was across the area of the VIP Section. It was an interesting line-up of guests, for sure: IZ*ONE was there, so was AB6IX’s Lee Daehwi. There were some of the song producers like Kiggen and PENTAGON’s Hui. The CEOs of the companies were present, too, like _BNM_’s Rhymer and CEO of _OUI Entertainment. _The trainers were in their own circle while a hundred meters away sat most of the eliminated trainees. Their section would be able to see everyone’s reaction. 

The stages outsold any expectation they had. _‘Boyness’ _was performed first and it was an instant hit. The cheers from their section alone was enough to keep her engaged so she raised the banners she had with her—Jungmo’s and Jinhyuk’s—and shouted with the rest of the _TOP Media _fans. It was a good thing the sound technicians amped the microphone of the trainees so everyone can hear them. _‘To My World’ _was performed next and became a crowd-favorite. The cheers were more spread out, most likely because the fans were scattered. The trainees gave the stage a standing ovation for their charismatic performance. Both stages were given the recognition that they deserve. _‘Dream For You’ _was bittersweet for the fans. Everyone was tearing up on the message of the lyrics. Out of the three stages, she loved this the most.

Then came the final elimination.

The results.

And she didn’t know what to do with all the feelings she had inside.

_Starship Entertainment _got their first seat for Kang Minhee, with 749,444 votes.

The cheers were loud as the fans of Minhee screamed themselves hoarse. She raised a hand to wave at the crying fansite master-_nim. _They were determined to do everything to put Minhee in the debuting team, but they were also aware that competition would be tough, especially since Koo Jungmo and Song Hyeongjun were more popular. But the tides have turned and Minhee is now part of X1 and the fans couldn’t be happier. Minhee’s ecstatic expression graced the cameras and his walk towards the pyramid felt like a victory.

_Woollim Entertainment _cemented their representative Cha Junho at Rank 9 with 756,939 votes.

There were some surprised exclamations at that, but not as prominent as Minhee’s ranking announcement. Junho was hugged by the trainees before he walked towards the seat to Minhee’s right. Junho was a wildcard for her: a make-it-or-break-it prediction because of his previous rankings and how the other trainees like Mingyu or Dohyon had considerably bigger fanbases. A ‘so-so’ for her and her friends.

A few places from her, two fans were discussing the results. One of them slowly shook her head in disbelief. “I did not expect that.”

Her friend shrugged. “Really? I did. It made sense, really. Junho was an early favorite because of his visuals but him being in the popular evaluation stages like _‘Boss’ _and _‘U Got It’ _kind of turned the attention towards him even if he had more popular members. ‘Sides, he has good vocals.”

“Huh. I guess you’re right. I expected Mingyu to be called by now, but they haven’t been called yet. Yuvin’s a long shot, but I’m hoping he gets in, too.”

“Wonjin’s far, isn’t he?”

“Well, to be fair, Minhee was quite far too. But he made it. Maybe they’ll make it, too.”

Their expectations did not happen. _MBK Entertainment’s _Nam Dohyon took Rank 8 with 764,443 votes. The screams were deafening as the youngest trainee of the season took his place in the pyramid. There were no objections to Dohyon’s rise; everyone expected the rapper and _“Musical Genius” _to debut in X1, it was only a matter of where he’ll be placed.

What caught her off-guard, in the best way possible, was the rise of the “Dark Horse” of the season: _MBK Entertainment _Lee Hangyul. At Rank 7 with 794,411 votes, it was the best twist of the season. Hangyul was a later favorite of hers. The trainee rose in the ranks after _‘Finesse’ _where he showcased his dance, which was his strongest point, and she was impressed. After that, Hangyul was often compared to Wanna One’s Kang Daniel in terms of dancing skills, a fact that she found correct due to them showing their talents in dance as something above the typical run-of-the-mill skill set. Hangyul would be X1’s dance machine, that’s for sure.

Then came Rank 6.

At this point, everyone was getting antsy because there were only six places before the _X _position is announced. And from the trainees left to be called, there was a small window of hope for their bets to come through.

Lee Dongwook _Daepyonim _looked down at his emcee cue and said the next name of the trainee in the debut team.

_DSP Entertainment _Son Dongpyo with 824,389 votes.

Cheers lit up the arena as the center of _‘X1-MA’ _cried in happiness. His _hyungs _surrounded him in congratulations, patting his back and smiling, before they pushed Dongpyo down the platform and towards the blue pyramid.

“The next trainee…”

_Please, please…_

* * *

“Mom, I’m home.”

“Jin Ah-y_ah? _Why are you home early? I thought you were with Yebin-_nie._”

“I was with her, mom. But we…we’re not in the mood to go out.”

“It’s _Produce, _isn’t it?”

“…”

“Well,” Jin Ah’s mom sighed. “You’re not the only one that’s sad. Your sister’s been crying since the ranks have been announced.” As if on cue, there was a wail coming from the stairs. “Poor Lee Jinhyuk-_ssi_. Jiwoo-_yah_’s been rooting not only him but for everyone in Top 20, you know? Attended weekend evening café events. Poor thing, really,” Her mom tutted as she fixed the leftover food in plastic containers. “You best change for bed. It’s late and you have study group tomorrow.”

Her mom was right, but she couldn’t muster the energy tonight and she knew her tiredness would carry over the next day. She felt like a train wreck after watching the shows in the arena. It wasn’t just her and Jiwoo _unnie _that is in such a state after the finals. She was there, she saw everyone’s reaction to the results, she’s supposed to feel even worse than her sister who was unable to get tickets because of her work schedule. But for some reason, she just felt…numb.

It wasn’t a bad lineup, really. Dare she say it, but it was the best lineup possible given the varying images the trainees have shown in the show. They had good rappers, good vocalists, good dancers, good variety members—it was a wholesome group.

She would support X1, but for tonight, she’d try to not bawl like a banshee, which is what her sister was doing right now, even if she felt like her guts have been gutted out of her.

She went up the stairs and towards her room. But before she could enter and settle for the evening, she heard the door across open. Her sister was standing in the doorway and she looked terrible.

Voice hoarse, she spoke. “Did he cry?”

“Everybody cried, _unnie_.”

“Did he cry?”

Silence.

“At the end. When there were no cameras to film.”

It was heartbreaking to see her sister, strong-willed and not easily affected by temporary things like _Produce, _but it seemed that even someone like Jiwoo _unnie _had a limit. She wrapped an arm around the older girl in comfort before she ushered her sister in her room. Jiwoo _unnie _must have been out of her wits because she did not yell at her for having a messy room. She even sat on the bed full of unfolded clothes like it did not bother her.

“You’re not the only one who’s down. I was there. I saw everyone’s faces at how the final rankings went. Everyone expected Yuvin to be part of the line-up, Yunseong too, and Jinhyuk— The trainees, the trainers, _TOP Media _stans, everyone—they were shocked, most were livid.” Her sister cried louder. “_Unnie, _please. Stop crying. I know you’re sad about your picks not making it, but it doesn’t have to be this way. You can still give your support even if they’re not part of X1. They also have debut groups, remember?”

It didn’t help the situation, she wryly thought as she handed the box of tissues on her desk. It was silent for a while, before her sister let out a wry laugh.

“I was on video call with Yerin-_ah _and Seohye _unnie _while watching the finals. Trust me, they’re much worse than I am right now. No amount of makeup would hide their puffy eyes. Good thing there’s no work tomorrow. Damn. And here you warned me not to watch _Produce _because I’ll cry buckets.”

“I learned that the hard way when I watched Season 1. It’ll be painful. Any reminder you see would just irritate the wound. But you’ll feel better soon. I promise you that because all the trainees of _Produce _immediately got love calls after the show. You’ll see your picks getting the love they deserve soon enough.”

Jiwoo _unnie_ sniffled. “I guess. But for now, I think I’ll wallow in my pool of tears, sadness, and self-pity.” She stood up from the bed and made her way out of the room. Before she pushed the door open, she stopped.

“Jin Ah-_yah_.”

“Hmm?”

“Have you heard…”

“Heard what?”

At this Jiwoo _unnie_ shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. “You were there. Have you heard of project groups forming? Like, the last Top 20 trainees debuting together?”

“What?”

Her mind suddenly clicked. “Wait, you mean—”

“Exactly.” Her smile was watery but was as bright as the cheery Jiwoo _unnie _she loved.

“It would be a first, isn’t it?”

Jiwoo _unnie _sighed heavily. “A lot of firsts for _me_, that’s for sure. It’s a first to cry over someone who practically knows I exist in a collective group devoted to them—”

“You make it sound like a cult.”

“—first to fully support said group that could, potentially, only happen in my dreams—”

“Or it could _truly _happen, you never know.”

“—first to officially file for bankruptcy as soon as said group happens—”

“…Yeah. You haven’t supported idol groups before. The nearest support you have given an idol group was accepting free photocards in Sindong area.”

“—first to think about joining fancafés and music show recordings—”

“Wait, seriously?”

Jiwoo _unnie _rubbed her face. “Damn. I’m _way _into this, aren’t I?”

Her despairing expression morphed into one of determination, like _unnie _was about to go to war. “Heck, whatever. Debut group or no, wherever they may be, debut group or solo, I’ll support them, dammit. Time to make a new SNS account for this.” She walked out of the room, head held high and her phone gripped tightly in one hand.

It took a while before everything sank in.

“Wait, _unnie! _What are you going to do? Where are you going to even start? Do you even know how to make one—”

“Don’t worry, _dongsaeng-ie-yah, _you’ll be creating these accounts for me. I’m way too old to be doing fan accounts.”

“Which is exactly what you’ll be doing, in case I need to remind you, _unnie._”

“Yeah, well, you’re a broke college student without a _won_ to her name. I, on the other hand, have income, which you’ll need in order to buy light things—”

“Lightstick.”

“Yes, yes, _lightstick. _I may be too old for fancafés, but I have all the means to support idol groups, which in this case, _project groups_. Coincidentally, I can also make you do stuff because of said means. You get me?”

“…”

“I seriously regret introducing you to _Produce._”

“Faster. Yerin-_ah _just made her first Twitter account for Lee Jinhyuk and for Tony. I can’t slack off.”

* * *

“Will we be fine, Jinhyuk-_ie hyung?_”

The trainee grasped his dongsaeng's hand and smiled. “We have nothing to fear, Yunseong-ie.”

_TOP Media _Lee Jinhyuk, ranked 14th, looked far into the distance. Whatever he saw made him smile.

“This is just the start.”

_ _

Disclaimer: Photos have not been taken, edited, nor distributed by and for any malicious purpose. This is only for personal use and visual aide to the literary piece posted in Archive Of Our Own website.


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